Portrait of a man holding a book
signed with initials 'FH'
oil on canvas

The Portrait of a man holding a book, which Seymour Slive describes as 'exceptionally well-preserved' (exhib. cat., 1989), is a characteristic work from the early 1640s: at this time images of joyful, ordinary people were disappearing, to be replaced by more sober, restrained and dignified portraits. At the same time, Frans Hals used fewer colours, in a search for greater unity and simplicity. Here, the red on the edge of the book subtly reflects the subject's ruddy complexion. The vibrant brushstrokes, which are visible for example in the daring highlight of the shaggy eyebrows, breath life into this unknown man; his informal pose and the confined composition of the picture further heighten the man's presence. The work is built around the tension between the hand, which is brilliantly outlined and which catches the attention of the viewer, and the face, which is 'framed' by the black clothes and white collar, which holds it.

Although the man's glaze is outward, the book which he is holding is a reminder of the importance of inner life. The man is wearing a tabbard, a long robe with flaps at the shoulders, which had been fashionable earlier in the century but which was by that time only worn by clerics or scholars, which points out to his likely profession. There are several copies of this picture in existence ; one is in the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, another modern version appeared in 1925 (sale Wegg, Brussels, 11th May 1925, lot 19, erroneously attributed to Frans Hals) and was exhibited in Brussels in 1937, but this time as a work from the 17th century Dutch school.

What became of the current painting, prior to its reappearance with a dealer in Berlin in 1900, remains a mystery. Our lack of knowledge regarding the previous provenance of this celebrated work demonstrates the neglect into which Frans Hals fell for two centuries. It was only around 1860, at the dawn of impressionism, that the works of this artist, who during his lifetime had been considered one of the greatest portrait painters of the Dutch Golden Age, were once again accorded their true value. At this time, his artistic legacy was proclaimed by the great 'modern' painters including Manet, Courbet, Cézanne and Van Gogh. It was thus in France that Frans Hals was rediscovered, and the glowing comments of the esteemed critic and art lover Thoré-Bürger on the Portrait of the Officers of Saint-Georges painted circa 1639 could also apply to the Portrait of a man holding a book: 'he was then familiar with Rembrandt's contemporaneous paintings, and this budding competition doubtless drove him to use deeper colours, to explore a more intimate expression of physiognomies, to create a more harmonious and peaceful effect, while retaining an energetic strength of execution'.